ᐅ Tips for Shading Your Terrace or Patio

Hi everyone,

I would appreciate some advice on shading options for our south-facing terrace.

For the green area (width 2m (6.5 feet)), I could imagine a vertical awning with cable guidance, but I would probably need to extend the beam a bit to attach the roller box.

For the blue area (width 4.5m (15 feet)), it gets a bit more challenging. The beam might not be strong enough for a proper awning, and with a sun sail, I’m worried about securing it properly because this corner is quite windy.

We do have a 3x4m (10x13 feet) patio umbrella, but it’s not ideal with the wind here. :-(

Any other ideas?

Thanks and best regards

Just visit a local supplier and ask for advice. Structural stability is especially important, especially since you mentioned that it’s windy. This also raises the issue of fastening methods. Request a quote regarding this. You can then consider it further...

hm green = the roller blind is already a good start
then I would probably have planted a significantly larger bush in the corner, which also provides shade, or set up a wider trellis, which when covered with plants cools even better than a awning.

the wood gets wet in rain with wind as well, doesn’t it?

An awning—within the usual price range and construction quality—is not much better than an umbrella when it comes to wind resistance.
By adding an extension, you can create shade with climbing plants, although this solution is obviously not movable.
Instead of attaching an awning to the blue marker, you could also use the house wall for mounting. However, the extension would then require lateral guides across the entire depth of the terrace.
My preferred idea would probably be the sun sail you mentioned. It does require manual effort to put up and take down, but with a suitably sturdy structure, it wouldn’t need to be done constantly.

Thank you for your input.

@Müllerin: Yes, the wood does get wet sometimes, but it is only stored there temporarily as an emergency solution and will be moved away in due course.

I actually thought that an awning would offer more protection than a sunshade. At least, my father’s awning gives that impression, although it is supported separately by two steel posts and extends on both sides, so it is not quite as wide as I would need.

I will inquire with a specialist company.
With the sun sail, I am just worried that strong winds might tear off the mounts. A case of taking risks…

Our awning specialist said a good awning can withstand more than you might expect. It can handle wind conditions where you wouldn’t even want to sit outside anymore. But for that, the mounting brackets also need to be sturdy. It’s best to ask a professional company.